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Hong Kong alternatively
known by its initials H.K., is a Special Administrative Region of the People's
Republic of China situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl
River Delta and South China Sea. The city is known for its expansive skyline
and deep natural harbour. With a land mass of 1,104 km2
(426 sq mi) and a population of over seven million people, Hong Kong
is one of the most densely populated areas in the world. Hong Kong's population
is 93.6% ethnic Chinese and 6.4% from other groups. Hong Kong's Cantonese-speaking
majority originate mainly from the neighbouring Canton province from which many
of them fled to escape wars and Communist rule in China from the 1930s to the
1960s.
Hong Kong became a colony of the British Empire after the First Opium War
(1839–42). Hong Kong Island was first ceded to the UK in perpetuity, followed
by Kowloon Peninsula in 1860 and then the New Territories was put under lease
in 1898. It was occupied by Japan during the Pacific War (1941–45), after which
the British resumed control until 1997, when China resumed sovereignty.
On 1 July 1997, Hong Kong became the first Special Administrative Region of
the People's Republic of China, under the principle of "one country, two
systems" (the other, Macau, attained that status in December 1999). It has
a different political system from mainland China. Hong Kong's independent
judiciary functions under the common law framework. Hong Kong Basic Law, its
constitutional document, which stipulates that Hong Kong shall have a high
degree of autonomy in all matters except foreign relations and military
defence, governs its political system.
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Capital :
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Dependency
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Area:
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1,104 km squre
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National Bird:
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Loons
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National Animal:
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Panda
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National Flower:
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Bauhinia blackeana
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National Language:
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Chinese and English
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National Sport:
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Rugby
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National Dance:
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Folk Dance
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Prime Minister:
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Habibi
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Major Occupation:
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Agriculture
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Time Zone:
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UTC+08
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Canada is a country in North America consisting of 10
provinces and 3 territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it
extends from the Atlantic to the Pacific and northward into the Arctic Ocean.
At 9.98 million square kilometres in total, Canada is the world's second-largest
country by total area, and its common border with the United States is the
world's longest land border shared by the same two countries.
The land that is now Canada has been inhabited for millennia by various Aboriginal
peoples. Beginning in the late 15th century, British and French colonies were
established on the region's Atlantic coast. As a consequence of various
conflicts, the United Kingdom gained and lost North American territories until
left in the late 18th century with what mostly comprises Canada today. Pursuant
to the British North America Act, on July 1, 1867 three colonies joined to form
the autonomous federal dominion of Canada. This began an accretion of provinces
and territories to the new self-governing dominion. In 1931 Britain granted
Canada full independence in most matters with the Statute of Westminster 1913.
The last ties were dissolved in 1982 with the Canada Act 1982.
Canada is a federal parliamentary democracy and a constitutional monarchy,
with Queen Elizabeth II as its head of state. Canada is a member of the Commonwealth
of Nations. The country is officially bilingual at the federal level. It is one
of the world's most ethnically diverse and multicultural nations, the product
of large-scale immigration from many countries, with a population of
approximately 35 million as of December 2012. Its advanced economy is one of
the largest in the world, relying chiefly upon its abundant natural resources
and well-developed trade networks. Canada's long and complex relationship with
the United States has had a significant impact on its economy and culture.
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Capital :
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Ottawa
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Area:
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998460 square
km
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National Bird:
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Oriental Robin
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National Animal:
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Polar bear and Loon
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National Flower:
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Wild Rose
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National Language:
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English and French
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National Sport:
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Ice Hockey
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National Dance:
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Folk Dance
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Prime Minister:
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Stephen Harper
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Major Occupation:
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Agriculture
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Time Zone:
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UTC+09
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Japan is an island nation in East Asia.
Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North
Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north
to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south. The characters that make up
Japan's name mean "sun-origin", which is why the country is sometimes
referred to as the "Land of the Rising Sun". Japan is an archipelago of
6,852 islands, the four largest being Honshu, Hokkaido, Kyushu and Shikoku.
Together, these four islands hold about 97 percent of the country's land area.
Japan has the world's tenth-largest population, with more than 126 million
people. Area includes the de facto capital city of Tokyo and several
surrounding prefectures. It is the largest metropolitan area in the world, with
more than 30 million residents.
Archaeological research indicates that people lived in Japan as early as
the Upper Paleolithic period. The first written mention of Japan is found in Chinese
texts from the 1st century AD. Influence from other nations followed by
long periods of isolation has characterized Japan's history. Japan evolved into
a cohesive society during the Heian period . From the 12th century until 1868,
Japan was ruled by successive feudal military dictatorships or shogunates in
the name of the Emperor. In the early 17th century, Japan entered into a long
period of isolation, which was only ended in 1853 when a United States fleet
pressured Japan to open to the West. Nearly two decades of internal conflict
and insurrection followed before the Meiji Emperor was restored as head of
state in 1868 and the Empire of Japan was proclaimed, with the Emperor
enshrined as a divine symbol of the nation.
Capital :
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Tokyo
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Area:
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377,944
square km
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National Bird:
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Green pheasent
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National Animal:
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Tanuki
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National Flower:
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Chrysanethmum
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National Language:
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Japanese
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National Sport:
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Wrestling
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National Dance:
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Folk Dance
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Prime Minister:
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Shinzo Abe
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Major Occupation:
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Agriculture
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Time Zone:
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UTC+09
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Switzerland officially the Swiss Confederation, is a federal
parliamentary republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of
the federal authorities, the so-called Bundesstadt aka "federal
city".The country is situated in Western and Central Europe, where it is
bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria
and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerland is a landlocked country
geographically divided between the Alps, the Swiss Plateau and the Jura, spanning
an area of 41,285 km2 (15,940 sq mi). While the Alps
occupy the greater part of the territory, the Swiss population of approximately
8 million people is concentrated mostly on the Plateau, where the largest
cities are to be found. Among them are the two global cities and economic
centres of Zürich and Geneva.
The establishment of the
Swiss Confederation is traditionally dated to 1 August 1291, which is
celebrated annually as Swiss National Day. It has a long history of armed
neutrality it has not been in a state of war internationally since 1815—and did
not join the United Nations until 2002. It pursues, however, an active foreign
policy and is frequently involved in peace-building processes around the world.
Switzerland is also the birthplace of the Red Cross and home to a large number
of international organizations, including the second largest UN office. On the
European level, it is a founding member of the European Free Trade Association
and is part of the Schengen Area – although it is notably not a member of the European
Union, nor the European Economic Area. Switzerland comprises four main
linguistic and cultural regions: German, French, Italian and the Romansh-speaking
valleys. Therefore the Swiss, although predominantly German-speaking, do not
form a nation in the sense of a common ethnic or linguistic identity; rather,
the strong sense of identity and community is founded on a common historical
background, shared values such as federalism and direct democracy and Alpine
symbolism.
Capital :
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Bern
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Area:
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15,940square
km
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National Bird:
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Dodo
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National Animal:
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Cow
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National Flower:
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Edelweiss
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National Language:
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German
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National Sport:
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Football
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National Dance:
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Folk Dance
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Prime Minister:
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Swiss Fdral Council
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Major Occupation:
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Agriculture
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Time Zone:
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UTC+01
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Sweden officially the Kingdom of Sweden is
a country in Northern Europe. Sweden borders Norway and Finland, and
is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the resund.At 450,295 square
kilometres (173,860 sq mi), Sweden is the third-largest country in
the European Union by area, with a total population of about 9.6 million.
Sweden has a low population density of 21 inhabitants per square kilometre
(54 /sq mi) with the population mostly concentrated to the southern
half of the country. About 85% of the population live in urban areas. Sweden's
capital city is Stockholm, which is also the largest city. Since the early 19th
century Sweden has generally been at peace and has largely avoided war.
Today, Sweden is a constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary democracy
form of government and a highly developed economy. Sweden has the world's
eighth-highest per capita income. In 2013, it ranked second in the world on the
Democracy Index, seventh (tied with Ireland) on the 2013 United Nations' Human
Development Index (third on the inequality-adjusted HDI), second on the 2013 OECD
Better Life Index and fourth on the 2013 Legatum Prosperity Index.
In 2012, the World Economic Form ranked Sweden as the fourth-most
competitive country in the world. According to the United Nations, it has the
third-lowest infant mortality rate in the world. In 2010, Sweden also had one
of the lowest Gini coefficients of all developed countries (0.25), making
Sweden one of the world's most equal countries in terms of income. Sweden's
wealth, however, is distributed much less equally than its income, with a
wealth Gini coefficient of 0.85, which is higher than the European average of
0.8.
Capital :
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Stockholm
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Area:
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449,964
square km
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National Bird:
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Blackbird
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National Animal:
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Elk, Horse
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National Flower:
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Clavel
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National Language:
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Swedish
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National Sport:
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Soccer
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National Dance:
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Folk Dance
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Prime Minister:
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Fredrik Reinfeldt
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Major Occupation:
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Agriculture
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Time Zone:
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UTC(UTC+01)
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Ireland is an island in the North Atlantic
to the west of Great Britain, from which it is separated by the North Channel,
the Irish Sea and St Georges Channel, and after which it is the largest island
of the British Isles archipelago. It is the third-largest island in Europe and
the twentieth-largest island on Earth.The island's geography comprises
relatively low-lying mountains surrounding a central plain, with several
navigable rivers extending inland. The island has lush vegetation, a product of
its mild but changeable oceanic climate, which avoids extremes in temperature.
Thick woodlands covered the island until the Middle Ages. As of 2013, the
amount of land that is wooded in Ireland is about 11% of the total, compared
with a European average of 35%. There are twenty-six extant mammal species
native to Ireland.
Prehistoric Ireland saw the arrival of humans after 8000 BC. Gaelic Ireland
had emerged by the 1st century and lasted until the early 17th century. The
island was converted to Christianity from the 5th century onward. Following the
Norman invasion in the 12th century, England claimed sovereignty over Ireland.
However, English rule did not extend over the whole island until the 16th–17th
century Tudor conquest. This led to colonization of Ireland by settlers from
Britain. In the 1690s, a system of Protestant English rule was designed to
materially disadvantage the Catholic majority and Protestant dissenters, and
was extended during the 18th century. In 1801, Ireland became a part of the United
Kingdom. A war of independence in the early 20th century was followed by the partition
of the island, creating the Irish Free State, which became increasingly
sovereign over the following decades, and Northern Ireland which remained a
part of the United Kingdom. Northern Ireland saw much civil unrest from the
late 1960s until the 1990s. This subsided following a political agreement in
1998. In 1973, both parts of Ireland joined the European Economic Community.
Capital :
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Dublin
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Area:
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84,421square km
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National Bird:
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Eagle
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National Animal:
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Red Deer
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National Flower:
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Shamrock
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National Language:
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Engloih, Irish
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National Sport:
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Rafting
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National Dance:
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Folk Dance
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Prime Minister:
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Enda Kenny
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Major Occupation:
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Agriculture
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Time Zone:
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UTC(UTC+1)
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